May 5, 2018
Open Division
Al Harris (Saginaw) defeated Scott Rettelle (Midland) in the final 13—15, 15—14, 11—5
A Division
Thor Kolemainen (Bath) defeated Mitch Larson (Saginaw) in the final 15—14, 15—11
B Division
Karl Briggs (Freeland) defeated Jim Price (Freeland) in the final 5—15, 15—13, 11—9
C Division
Trevor Keyes (Bay City) defeated Chad McIntyre (Standish) in the final 15—5, 15—14
RECAP BY KARL BRIGGS AND MORE OF JODY HENNING’S PICTURES FOLLOW.
This past weekend the Saginaw Paddleball Players and the YMCA hosted its first singles tournament. The tournament was named after the late Dr. Richard Mudd who was active on both the paddleball and handball courts. Dr. Mudd who played 3 times a week until he was 91 years old, would often play paddleball with the guys, with the sole intention of recruiting them to play handball. Dr. Mudd’s prowess on the court was legendary. Dr. Mudd would often comment about how some of the best handball players came from the paddleball court. He initiated and sponsored handball tournaments that started in 1984 and would run for almost 24 years. In keeping with the family tradition for court sports, the good Doctor’s son Tom offered to keep the memory alive with sponsoring the Mudd-Slingers Singles Paddleball Tournament. Tom Mudd was our oldest player at age 78, with Chad McIntyre the youngest, age 14.
The tournament was set up as an Olympic style format, 3 game guarantee, games to 15, and 3 drop-down brackets. There were many positive comments about this format, as it allowed many players of different abilities to play each other. A lot of playing tips were offered both on and off the court. Most the players were from the Mid-Michigan area, however, Jim Owens and Ron Harris joined us from Ann Arbor, as well as Thor Kolemainen and Len Baldori from the Lansing area. With the success of this tournament, we are hoping this becomes an annual event.
Special Accolades to:
Saginaw YMCA for hosting the event
Tom Mudd for being a MAJOR SPONSOR
Jim Price Tournament Director
Don McIntyre Tournament Manager
Jody Henning Food Manager & Photographer
Mitch Larson Facility Manager
